Our powerpoint -

日本りょうり (Japanese Cuisine)

ピース!History

• After the じょうもん period the Japanese shifted from hunter gatherers to farmers
• They mainly grew rice which was boiled plain
• Later on the Emperor てっむbanned cattle, horse, dogs, monkeys, and chickens during 5 months of the year – this made deer and boar an important part of the Japanese diet during his reign
• In the 8th century the killing of all animals was banned. This was later resolved but made any person of nobility who consumed meat unable to participate in any Shinto practices for 3 days
• The Chinese brought chopsticks into Japan to slowly replace hands as the main eating utensil (chopsticks would become the main eating utensil later in the 9th century)
• Post 9th century food included grilled fish and meat (やきもの), simmered food (にみもの), steamed foods (むしもの), soups, fish or meat (あつもの), jellied fish (にこごり), sliced raw fish served in a vinegar sauce (なます), vegetables, seaweed or fish in a strong dressing (あえもの), and pickled vegetables (つけもの) cured in salt
• Oil and fat were mostly avoided with the exception of sesame oil although it was very difficult to produce
• During the へいあん period it is noted that the nobility ate fish and wild fowl with vegetables
• Their banquet settings consisted of a bowl of rice and soup, chopsticks and a spoon along with three (salt, vinegar, and ひしお - a fermentation of soybeans, rice, wheat, sake and salt). An additional plate was present for mixing the seasonings to desired flavor to dip their food into.
• During the Kamakura period the foods of the nobility shifted emphasis from flavor to more ceremonial and official foods
• The cuisine of the samurai came mainly from their peasant roots. The meals prepared were simple in appearance yet complex in flavor.
• The cuisine avoided refinement, ceremony and luxury and a shedding of all further Chinese influence.
• The Buddhist vegetarian philosophy strengthened during the Kamakura period as it began to spread to the peasants. People involved with the death of animals were deemed unclean for practicing Shinto as well as were discriminated.

Tuna at a fish marketModern Cuisine

• Based on combining しゅしょく (staple foods – like rice and noodles) with a soup, and おかず (side dishes - fish, meat, vegetable, tofu and such to add flavor to the staple food). These are all typically flavored with だし, みそ, and soy sauce and are usually low in fat and high in salt.
• A standard meal comprises of three おかずand is called いちじゅう-さんさい("one soup, three sides") Different cooking techniques are applied to each of the three おかず; raw (さしみ), grilled, simmered (sometimes called boiled), steamed, deep-fried, vinegared, or dressed.
• People eat lots of seafood. Meat-eating was rare until recently because of Buddhist laws. However, strictly vegetarian food is rare since even vegetable dishes are flavored with だしstock, usually made with かつおぶし(dried tuna flakes)
• Noodles are an essential part of the cuisine usually used as an alternative to rice. そば(thin, grayish-brown noodles containing buckwheat flour) and うどん(thick wheat noodles) are the main traditional noodles and are served hot or cold with soy-だしflavorings. Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat stock broth known as ramen have become extremely popular over the last century.

すしようしょく (Western-Influenced Cooking)

• At the start of the めいじRestoration, national seclusion was eliminated and the emperor declared Western ideas as necessary to Japan’s future progress.
• The ban on red meat was eliminated and the emperor promoted Western style cooking as he thought it was the reason for their greater physical size.
• Cooking style revolves around using meat
• Examples: Curry rice, Breaded and deep-fried dishes not including てんぷら, Hamburgers, Spaghetti

Iron Chef - Original

A Few Common Foods

すし

• すしis a vinegared rice topped or mixed with various fresh ingredients
  
• にぎりすし: This is sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice.
• まきすし: Translated as "roll sushi", this is where rice and seafood or other ingredients are placed on a sheet of seaweed (のり) and rolled into a cylindrical shape on a bamboo mat and then cut into smaller pieces.
• てまきすし: Basically the same as まきずし, except that the のりis rolled into a cone-shape with the ingredients placed inside. Sometimes referred to as a "hand-roll"

さけ

• さけis a rice wine that contains around 12-20% alcohol and is made from a double fermentation of rice. It is not usually drunk alongside other rice based dishes.

さけ and serving cupsあげもの(deep-fried dishes)

• からあげ: bite-sized pieces of chicken, fish, octopus, or other meat, floured and deep fried. Common いざかやfood, also often available in convenience stores.
• てんぷら: deep-fried vegetables or seafood in a light, distinctive batter.

やきもの(grilled or pan-fried dishes)

• てりやき: grilled, broiled, or pan-fried meat, fish, chicken or vegetables glazed with a sweetened soy sauce.
• うなぎ, including かばやき: grilled and flavored eel.
• やきとり: barbecued chicken skewers, usually served with beer.

Vegetable やきもの

さしみ

• ふぐ: sliced poisonous pufferfish (sometimes lethal), a uniquely Japanese specialty. The chef responsible for preparing it must be licensed.
• いきずくり: live sashimi
• とりさし: chicken breast sashimi

とろ (fatty tuna cut) さしみ

Soups

• みそsoup: soup made with みそdissolved in だし, usually containing two or three types of solid ingredients, such as seaweed, vegetables or tofu.
• しましじいる: a clear soup made with だしand seafood
• ぞに: soup containing もちrice cakes along with various vegetables and often chicken. It is usually eaten at New Years Day.

Pickled or Salted Foods

• いくら: salt cured salmon caviar.
• つけもの: pickled vegetables, hundreds of varieties and served with most rice-based meals.
• うめぼし: small, pickled うめ(golden plum) fruit. Usually red and very sour.

Misc.

• あげだしどふ: cubes of deep-fried silken tofu served in hot broth.
• おべんとう: combination meal served in a wooden box, usually as a cold lunchbox.
• えだまめ: boiled and salted pods of soybeans, eaten as a snack, often to accompany beer.
• Although most Japanese eschew eating insects, in some regions, いなご(locust) and はちのこ(bee larvae) are not uncommon dishes. The larvae of species of caddisflies and stoneflies ざざむ are harvested from the てんりゅうriver as it flows through いな, ながの, and then also boiled and canned, or boiled and then sautéed in soy sauce and sugar.

あげだしどふ garnished with bonito flakes

Tomato that got owned Japanese style

Etiquette

• Meals in Japan traditionally begin with the phraseいただきます (literally, "I receive").
• Upon finishing a meal, the Japanese also use the polite phraseごちそうさまでした
• Polite to clear one’s plate
• Obvious stuff like chewing with your mouth closed, etc.
• Pouring soy sauce all over rice is not considered a Japanese custom and it is considered greedy.
• Some believe it’s rude to eat in public.
• In Japanese restaurants, customers are given a rolled hand towel called おしぼり. It is considered rude to use the towel to wipe the face or neck
• Cover one’s mouth when using a toothpick.
• Putting chopsticks between the palms and rubbing to get the splinters off of chopsticks is noisy and rude.
• Never pass food from chopstick to chopstick.
• Don’t leave the chopsticks straight up in rice because it represents incense at a funeral.
• It’s also rude to stab your food because it resembles a Buddhist practice of offering food to their ancestors.

Cool Japanese style table setting

Knives

There are two classes of traditional Japanese knives forging methods: ほんやき and かすみ. The class is based on the method and material used in forging the knife. ほんやき are true-forged knives, made entirely of one material, high-carbon steel. かすみare made from two materials, like samurai swords of old: high-carbon steel and soft iron forged together (known as さんまい blades), with the steel forming the blade's edge and the iron forming the blade's body and spine. Lower quality knives are forged from stainless steel.

• でばぼちょ: Kitchen carver used mainly for cutting fish
• さんとく: General purpose knife influenced by European styles - stands for 3 virtues which is why it’s used to cut meat, fish and vegetables
• なきりぼちょ and うすばぼちょ: Thin blade good for cutting vegetables
• おろしほちょ and はんちょほちょ: Extremely long knives to fillet tuna
• たこひき, やなぎば, and ふぐひき: さしみ slicers each designated for a certain, or certain few fish
• うどんきり and そばきり: Knife with a long straight edge and square shape used to make うどん and そば
  
  

ほんやき knife close up

Other Kitchen Tools

• あぶらきり: A shallow tray used to place food to drain after frying
• はんぎり: Rice barrel used to dress and cool rice in preparation for sushi
• まきやきなべ: square metal pan for japanese rolled omelettes
• むしき and せいろ: Bamboo steamers that can be stacked
• おとしぶた: a drop lid used to float over the top of a liquid in a pot to stop harsh bubbles from forming and ruining delicate ingredients
• Rice cooker: Electric appliance for cooking rice. Some are known to play songs.
• てつなべ: Cast iron pot usually used to boil water for drinking purposes (as in tea)
• Chopsticks – used to whisk and to stir, among many other uses

Guy with sushi rice and はんぎり